Creamy Tomato Pasta Recipe
This isn't your average weeknight pasta. It's a vibrant, creamy tomato dish with a gentle kick of chili, made with a magical technique where the spaghetti simmers directly in a flavour-packed broth. This coaxes out natural starches, creating a ridiculously silky sauce that clings to every single strand. The result is a deeply flavourful, restaurant-quality dish that is pure, simple indulgence.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
For the Flavor Broth:
- 1 l water
- 5 g salt
- 8 ml olive oil extra virgin
- 300 g tomato puree
- 50 g Italian parsley
- 48 g fresh basil
For the Pasta:
- 20 ml olive oil
- 10 g garlic about 3-4 cloves, minced
- 1 whole red chili finely chopped
- 200 g pasta dried spaghetti works best
- 150 ml pomodoro sauce of your choice!
- 20 g parmesan cheese or pecorino romano freshly grated
- 120 ml light cream
For Garnish:
- 20 g parmesan cheese or pecorino romano freshly grated
- basil leaves extra for serving, optional
- drizzle olive oil for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a pot, combine the water, salt, olive oil, tomato purée, Italian parsley, and basil. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to create the broth.
- In a separate large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the finely chopped chili to the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the dry pasta to the pan and stir to coat it in the garlic and chili oil.
- Pour in the Pomodoro sauce and half of the parmesan cheese or pecorino romanostir to combine.
- Add a large spoonful of the hot broth to the pan. Keep stirring as the pasta begins to absorb it.
- After about 4 minutes, add a second spoonful of broth to the pan.
- Add a third spoonful of broth and continue stirring.
- Continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, adding more broth if needed. Taste to check for doneness.
- Once the pasta is cooked, lower the heat and stir in the cream until fully combined.
- Plate the pasta and garnish with fresh basil leaves, the other half of the grated Parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
A few little secrets to make sure your pasta is absolutely perfect every time:
- The Perfect Bite: The key to truly magnificent pasta is cooking it al dente ("to the tooth"). It should have a confident, firm bite, never mushy. Since we're using a special cooking method, your senses are the best guide. Trust them and continue tasting as you go—it’s the only way to know when it has reached perfection!
- Control the Heat: You are in complete control of the passion in this dish. Whether you want a gentle whisper of warmth or a fiery kiss of spice is all up to you. Feel free to adjust the amount of chili to create your own perfect love story.
- Fresh is Best: There’s nothing like the vibrant life that fresh herbs bring to a dish. Fresh basil and parsley will give your broth and final garnish a beautiful, aromatic perfume that dried herbs just can’t replicate. Of course, dried will work in a pinch, but for that truly show-stopping flavour, go fresh if you can.
- More Protein this is a vegetarian dish, however feel free to add cooked ground beef, shrimp (prawns), rotisserie chicken, turkey or any protein of your choice
Nutrition
Calories: 837kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1767mg | Potassium: 1421mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 5249IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 439mg | Iron: 7mg